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I have not heard anyone employ the once-clever “ABC” instruction in a long time, and I am glad about that because it never made much sense to me. It stands for “anything but chardonnay,” and cynical wine consumers were quick to vocalize it when asked what they would like to drink. The smug practice was at… read more

Each week I like to choose a new wine to introduce to our fans. These wines vary by region, by varietal and even by price. I don’t think cost and value are necessarily related. So I like to focus on wines I have experienced on my travels and I think our fans will enjoy trying. salut!

It is Halloween weekend and a time for kids to dress up in costume, hang out with their friends and go trick or treating for candy. But why should they have all the fun? These days everyone can get into the Halloween spirit, including wine lovers. So the editorial team at Wine Portfolio (who have been accused of acting like children on more than one occasion and therefore are qualified to comment) have put their minds together to create a list of SCARY HALLOWEEN WINES.

First up Dracula Pinot Noir from Vampire Wines. Made from pinot noir grapes grown in the Santa Maria Valley and placed in French Oak barrels for 18 months, this wine is rich with a deep dark cherry color. As the website says, “God made cabernet sauvignon, whereas the devil made pinot noir.” Andres Tchelistcheff (1901-1994).

Witches Falls Winery in Australia produces magically good whites. One of the best is their Riesling which is fresh and acidic with a crisp lime citrus taste. It is perfect for pairing with Asian food or dark chocolate (probably stolen from your kid’s loot bag).

Concha y Toro, the largest producer from Latin America has a devilishly good wine in the aptly named Casillero del Diablo Merlot. For those who don’t speak Spanish this means, the Cellar of the Devil. Legend has it that the workers at Concha y Toro were drinking all of the profits so the founder told the superstitious workers that the devil lived in his wine cellar so they dare not enter. Clearly this worked because they now export lots of this rich, dark and intense Merlot.

And finally to round out our list of two reds and two whites, don’t forget Pure Evil Chardonnay from South Australia. It is fun, affordable and the label is pure genius. Most of these wines are fairly widely available but if you can’t find them remember such stand bys as Seven Deadly Zins, Hocus Pocus and Blue Nun – what could be scarier than that?